Tree Trimming... Family Style

As you know I have been full of the decorating spirit  this year.  I have been excited to get my tree up and last night, Sara, Phil, and Maria came over for dinner and to help me put my tree up.  It was so much fun! 

This place, my condo, feels so much better than my other place... I love having people here with me... and it really feels like home.  I had not done much to prepare for having them here for dinner.  I got home only a few minutes before they arrived because I had been to a conference yesterday.  So... while Sara helped me get the food going, Phil and Maria got my stand set up and eventually we got the tree in it... well Phil did... which was great!  I am sure I would not have done as good of a job!

 Here are my helpers! I love this picture because everyone was really smiling, happy... Sara wasn't happy when she looked at any pics of herself because what she sees is how her face has still not recovered form the Bells Palsy she had... she gets frustrated, not knowing if her face will ever go back to normal... (You know how I feel about that word...)  But this was in the midst of laughter and I loved it! 

After dinner I gave Maria her Christmas present... mainly because  wasn't sure it would fit... but it did!  This sweater... I love the hood! 

Of course because I wanted a picture she had to be silly! 

Here's a good shot... 

After getting the tree up, we were sitting around watching Maria... and I pulled over a chair from the dining room to visit...(I took the rocking chair that was downstairs upstairs to make room for the tree, so I needed to pull a chair over.)  Maria began picking up some of the Christmas balls and wanting to put them on the tree.... Sara grabbed my camera... 

Maria kept asking to turn the lights on the tree... even though we had not yet put lights up, but that motivated us to do so... and Phil helped a lot with the lights... After they left I put on some beads... and sat and enjoyed the tree.  I posted this picture on facebook and my sister's boys wanted to know if Ed liked the tree.  My aunt asked who Ed was... he is the beta fish who resides in that bubble on my wall.  (A better pic of him later.)  

I then spent a while putting hooks on ornaments, in anticipation that the party I had planned for tonight would result in my guests decorating my tree... and liked the decorations all together like this.  

This morning I woke up to snow!  And I wasn't perturbed...  I took a few pictures with my camera but they were not great... 

then I used my phone to take some pictures using my camera on my phone... and they came out better.  It was nice to see the details in the flakes.  Posting them here hoping that Michael gets a good viewing... very pretty! 

So after being out, shopping for some things I needed for the party... I went for a walk, day 10 of being active in a row... And eventually guests started arriving... it was so nice to host a party!  

There was a lot of laughing, including the moment leading up to this picture... this is one of my friends, and as a bunch of us were talking and laughing, there was a moment of silence, violently interrupted by one of her bodily functions... that was so loud.. and sent us all into hysterical laughter... even now as I am trying to type about it I am laughing out loud... and my eyes tear up!  Too funny!  One of those moments we will mention often as, "remember when...."  She was so embarrassed but handled it well.  And we all agreed we were glad it wasn't us!  (Still  laughing!)  

Suellen with her niece!  I need to remember to take pictures while bending down... this angle is a little too high! 

These are some other friends... the two ladies on the left are women I taught with at my other job.  The lady in the middle, Sheila, is the lady who is nice enough to let me store my kayaks at her house for the winter.  

I took a few other pics of guests, but they didn't come out well, but Debbie returned with her hubby and son, and Jacey came.  It was so nice to be able to introduce my friends to her and her to them.  She stayed after everyone else left to help me clean up, so sweet!   

As hoped, guests, mostly the kids, put on many of the Christmas balls I have collected.  

Ed seems to like the tree.  He is more active in his bubble.  He is a little camera shy, so this is the best I could do! 

I had lots of extra decorations, and decided I liked them combined like this so much that I would fill a glass platter with them and leave them on my coffee table, as an added decoration.  

After everyone left... I did something I love to do, for some reason... lay on the floor and look up... at the lights, the colors, the ornaments... The flash on the camera faded the colors a bit... 

I cheated a bit on this one... when I edited the picture I 'saturated' the colors, making them stand out more... 

Same with this one... saturated the colors... 

Mixed among the colorful balls, are a few of my ornaments I have had for a long time... this is one from NYC.  

One Mom painted...

It was so nice... such a nice few days... filled with having friends over... enjoying their company... having friends help me put up and decorate my tree was wonderful.  I loved it!  

Before going to bed, I looked outside and the snow has lightly covered the ground with snow... 

peaceful !  I am a lucky person...